Good News Service #52: Early Fall 2017

Amalgamated is the first North American bank to announce a public position against nuclear weapons

Partnering with China seen as the likeliest resolution of conflict with North Korea

Canadian Pugwash commemorates Canada’s 150th Anniversary with major proposals for action…

Chris Hadfield, first Canadian to command an International Space Station, selected 45 good news stories from 2016.
Here are 19 of them:
5.1 The Colombian government and FARC rebels committed to a lasting peace, ending a war that killed or displaced over 7 million people.
5.2 Sri Lanka spent five years working to exile the world’s deadliest disease from their borders. As of the end of 2016 they were malaria free.
5.3 Malawi lowered its HIV rate by 67%, and in the past decade has seen a shift in public health that saved over 250,000 lives.
5.4 Measles has been eradicated from the Americas. A 22 year vaccination campaign led to the eradication of the historic virus.
5.5 After a century, Einstein’s theory of gravitational waves has been proven correct, in a “moon shot” scientific achievement.
5.6 A solar powered airplane flew across the Pacific Ocean for the first time, highlighting a new era of energy possibilities.
5.7 China has announced a firm date for the end of the ivory trade, as public opinion is becoming more staunchly environmentalist.
5.8 The ozone layer has shown that through tackling a problem head on, the world can stem environmental disasters, together.
5.9 Costa Rica’s entire electrical grid ran on renewable energy for over half the year, and their capacity continues to grow.
5.10 a new treatment for melanoma has seen a 40% survival rate, taking a huge step forward towards long-term cancer survivability.
5.11 British Columbia protected 85 of the world’s largest temperate rainforests in a landmark environmental agreement.
5.12 2016 saw the designation of more than 40 new marine sanctuaries, covering an area larger than the United States.
5.13 These marine reserves include Malaysia’s 13 year struggle to complete a million hectare park, completed in 2016.
5.14 This also includes the largest marine Reserve in history, created in Antarctica via an unprecedented agreement by 24 nations.
5.15 Atmospheric acid pollution, once a gloomy reality, has been tackled to the point of being almost back to pre-industrial levels.
5.16 Major diseases are in decline. The US saw a 50% mortality drop in colon cancer which created a precedent for small countries looking to introduce health-focused legislation.
5.17 World hunger has reached its lowest level in 25 years, and with poverty levels dropping worldwide seems likely to continue.
5.18 The African Union made strides to become more unified, launching an all-Africa passport meant to allow for visa-free travel for all citizens.
5.19 Fossil fuels emissions flatlined in 2016, with the Paris Agreement becoming the fastest UN treaty to become international law.

China contributes US$34 million to WFP for Emergency Food Assistance in six countries